Bears center Spencer learning new job by fire

BOURBONNAIS--Maybe Chris Spencer will use the technique former Chicago Bears quarterback Chris Chandler used to practice when he switched teams and was forced to learn a new offense.

Chandler always said the fastest way to learn a new playbook was to forget the anguage he used in the old one. However Spencer goes about it, he needs to do it quickly.

The Bears have signed him to a two-year contract to replace Olin Kreutz and will get their first look at him in practice Thursday night as the team is off Wednesday, per guidelines in the new collective bargaining agreement.

Spencer will be working with the second team, but offensive line coach Mike Tice said as soon as he is up to speed and isn't going to put anyone in harm's way, he'll be rotating with Roberto Garza at the position.

Ideally, the Bears want to have Garza back at right guard. He was praised for working with J'Marcus Webb during his rookie season last year, and so having him next to first-round draft pick Gabe Carimi would only make sense.

"I've been through three different offenses in the last three years," Spencer said. "I've been around for awhile, so I don't feel totally like a rookie."

It's not going to be simple.

"Unfortunately, it's a totally foreign language for him," Tice said. "He's been in a West Coast system his whole career, so we've got to get him on the language and get him a crash course on that."

Spencer knows he's being asked to follow one of the best centers in the NFL for the last 13 years and the undisputed leader of the locker room. It's no easy task, especially for a newcomer.

"I respect the hell out of Olin, he's been a great guy for me to watch over the years," Spencer said. "I'm just coming in here to play my game and do what I can do to help this team win.

"These guys are awesome so far, they jumped in right away and started answering questions for me and helping me out with different terminology, what this means and what that means. We've got a god group here, they bond together tight."

Truth be told, his best approach is not to try to deliver what Kreutz did for the team.

"I'm a different guy (than Olin), and I can't worry about what happened in the past," Spencer said. "I just want to focus on how I can help this team win."

He's had a few days to look over Mike Martz's playbook and suffice to say it's lived up to its reputation.